It's Just A Feeling
by allthingsavenger
Summary: Steve Rogers has feelings for Tony Stark. Too soon after he finds out Tony has feelings for him too, Tony is taken and if Steve can't get him back, he doesn't know how anything can ever be the same again.
1. Sleeptalk

Steve wasn't sure when it had started, but he began to notice the little things about Tony. The way his eyes were a different shade of brown in the sun, the way his frustration would melt when Steve brought him a cup of coffee and the special smile that seemed reserved especially for Steve. Eventually, Steve had noticed how much he missed all the little things about the brunette when he wasn't around and the ache in his chest when he hadn't seen the other person for days. Perhaps it was the unbearably long hours he spent waiting to see Tony again, or the way he lost his appetite when he hadn't seen the other for too long, but Steve knew that somehow, he wanted to be with Tony and he wanted Tony to be with him, but he could never bring himself to find out if it was a mutual feeling.

As it happened, Steve was standing in the kitchen making breakfast when he checked the time. 8:40am. Strange, he thought to himself, Tony had usually stumbled up to the common room groaning for coffee by this time. He turned the heat off, picking up the coffee he'd made and made his way down the elevator to Tony's lab. The cool voice of JARVIS granted him access and the doors slid open silently. He spotted Tony immediately, slumped over his work with his head on the tabletop, unconscious. Steve sighed making his way over and prised the metal from the sleeping brunette's hands. Leaving the coffee on the table, he picked Tony up gently to avoid jostling him and carried him to the elevator where he tapped the button for Tony's floor.

He stood quietly, watching the numbers light up as they passed the floors, going up past the other Avengers' levels. They slowed to a stop at Bruce's floor and the scientist entered, holding a stack of folders in his arms. He raised his eyebrows at Steve when he saw the unconscious Tony in his arms. "Again?" he asked. Steve nodded in the affirmative. Tony had been passing out in his lab far too much recently, working late into the night and mornings and Steve would find him sprawled on the floor or in his chair the next day.

The elevator made a soft sound, alerting him that they had arrived at Tony's floor. Steve acknowledge Bruce with a nod before stepping out and heading to Tony's bedroom. The door swung open at his touch and he entered, laying the sleeping brunette onto the covers softly. He stood for a minute, watching the rise and fall of Tony's chest as he breathed, the arc reactor glowing softly underneath his shirt. He smiled to himself as he watched Tony's face, peaceful as he slept.

He turned back towards the elevator, going down to Tony's lab to pick up the coffee and brang it up to his room so he could drink it when he woke. He placed the cup gently on the table beside Tony's head and turned to leave when he froze.

"Steve."

The blond turned around slowly, looking at Tony as he tried to work out if he was still asleep or not. The rise and fall of his chest hadn't changed and his eyes remained closed so Steve passed it off as a figment of his imagination. He was about to turn away again when it happened another time, but this time he distinctly saw Tony's lips move as he mumbled his name again.

Did Tony Stark just mumble his name in his sleep? Steve Rogers stood stunned, staring at the sleeping billionaire. He swallowed, waiting to see if he would say it again. After a few minutes of quiet breathing on Tony's part, Steve left, closing the door quietly.

He shuffled to the elevator, lost in his thoughts as he wondered what it meant. Was it just a coincidence? He tried to think of all the possibilities without addressing the one closest to his heart. The elevator arrived and he stepped out, the sunlight streaming in through the huge glass windows. He saw Bruce making himself breakfast on the other side of the room and spotted Natasha eating on one of the couches. He called a greeting to her and she replied cheerfully before he returned to his half made breakfast.

"Still sleeping?" asked Bruce, carrying toast on a plate. Steve nodded, making sure he didn't give away any of his emotions. "Still sleeping." The blond paused at the bench, caught up in his racing thoughts before he turned back to his food and finished cooking it.


	2. Problems

Tony yawned, tears springing to his eyes as he tried to adjust to the sunlight streaming in through the windows. Where was he? He sat up, disorientated and looked around. The first thing he noticed was the coffee. It was on his bedside table and it smelt delicious. The second thing he noticed was that he was in his room. He sighed. That was it then. He must have passed out in his lab and someone must have taken him back to his room. _Again_. He tried not to think about _who_ that might be because that would just hurt. No doubt it was the same person who had brought him the coffee and deep down, he knew without having to ask.

He swallowed, picking up the coffee and tried to stop thinking about it because Tony Stark isn't good at dealing with emotions. Pushing it to the back of his mind, Tony drank his coffee peacefully, gazing out the window at the cityscape below. How tiny the people looked, he thought. He wondered if any of them had ever wanted something they couldn't have.

Before he had drained the cup, his thoughts wandered back to where he didn't want them to go, no matter what distractions he threw at himself. With a sigh, he decided to address the problem because if he didn't, it would burden him for the whole day and he would end up in his lab until he passed out again. And he didn't want that to happen. Because then he would wake up in his bed again which meant-

He cut himself off before he could finish the thought. What was the problem? He thought about it and was surprised to find that it was himself. It was himself and not Steve as he had originally thought. After all, it was his own problem he… liked Steve. He frowned. No. No, he _cared_ about Steve, but like? And every time he woke up in his own bed without an explanation- he _could_ just ask JARVIS to rewind the security footage and then he'd know for sure but.. he didn't _want_ to know. Each time he almost gave the command something held him back. Perhaps he was afraid of what he might find, afraid that it might not be what he had hoped.

He rubbed his face with his hands, pressing his palms to his closed eyes. I give up, he thought. It was too hard to think about and he wasn't getting anywhere. Much better to just finish whatever he was doing before and not think about it.

He dropped his legs over the edge of the bed and stood, stretching stiffly. He yawned again as he stretched his cramped arms and back. Without thinking, he made his way to the bathroom, brushed his teeth and washed his face with cold water. He threw on a shirt and went over to the elevator. What time was it? The elevator arrived and he went into the common room. Did he want breakfast? He looked around. The room was deserted as far as he could tell save for Natasha meditating by the floor-to-ceiling windows which wrapped around the whole floor. He knew she had felt his presence but chose not to disturb her peace.

He glanced at the clock. It was almost 11am. He groaned. How much time had he wasted? He decided against breakfast and dropped his cup in the sink. He'd wash it later. Making his way back into the elevator, he hit the button for his lab. Halfway down, the doors opened. Tony's insides fluttered when he saw Steve.

"Morning," said Steve cheerily. "Or um, mid-morning to be more accurate."

Tony chortled. "Mid-morning to you too, Steve."

"Had breakfast?" the blond asked, pressing the button for the gym.

Tony paused. "Yeah," he lied. He could see Steve didn't really believe him, but he didn't say anything as they arrived at Steve's floor.

"Later then," Steve said as he headed to his favourite work out spot.

"Later," replied Tony, the doors sliding shut.

He breathed out a sigh of relief. No slip ups, nothing confronting or out of the normal. It was a comfort to step back into his lab where he could work quietly and push everything else to the back of his mind. He could think about all that later and for now he was content to just work until something else happened.


	3. Delicate hands

Tony Stark did not look like he had eaten breakfast. That much Steve could tell. The billionaire still looked like he had barely woken up so it hadn't been hard for Steve to see right past his lie when Tony had said he'd eaten.

He punched the bag half-heartedly, his mind elsewhere. With a sigh, he gave up, turning away from the bag and sitting down on one of the benches. He just couldn't stop thinking about Tony, not even for a minute. His mind would wander back to the brunette's eyes, his lips, his hair, the way he spoke Steve's name, the way Steve's face would flush and the way his body reacted differently to Tony's presence. He sat, his head in his hands and a single tear rolled down his cheek, ceasing to exist when it was brushed away. There was something about Tony that made him feel…_different_. And yet, something in his mind made him feel like he was just out of reach, something that would never, _could_ never be.

And the worst part, the worst part was that he was afraid to find out. He was afraid to know for certain what he already knew must be the truth, whatever tiny hope he harboured in the deepest recesses of his heart.

Standing, he wiped his hands on his pants and walked over to the elevator. The least he could do was make Tony some breakfast.

—-

"Shit," Tony swore as the sharp piece of metal slipped from his fingers and cut across the soft skin on his palm. It wasn't a deep cut but it was enough to irritate him. He put it down and pressed his fingertips to his temple, head throbbing. He closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing. His stomach made an indelicate sound and he realised he was starving. Not that he was going to do anything about it. Because that would involve going up to the kitchen and cooking and maybe seeing Steve. The image of the soldier flitted before his eyes, his blond hair glowing in the sunlight, his eyes sparkli-

Nothing. The image of nothing flitted before his eyes. He wasn't going to hope for something that couldn't be. He was dimly aware of JARVIS granting permission for someone to enter his lab. He wondered half interestedly who it might be, not that that he particularly cared. He stayed sitting with his eyes closed and heard someone approach him. He froze when he heard the person speak, because it was Steve.

"Are you alright, Tony?" Steve questioned, worry layering his voice. The brunette looked up and realised that his hand was bleeding.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," he assured Steve. Hastily wiping his hand on a cloth he yelped in surprise when it stung.

Steve was next to him in a second, setting down a tray of steaming food in front of him. It smelt delicious and his stomach grumbled in approval. A moment later he felt Steve turn his hand over gently, his fingers soft and gentle on his skin, examining the cut. He thought about pulling away, but allowed Steve to look at the incision. After determining that it wasn't serious, the blond fetched the first aid, cleaned his hand and applied some gauze to stop the bleeding.

"You should be more careful," Steve said quietly as Tony ate. Tony didn't reply, enjoying his much needed sustenance. He finished quickly and rubbed his eyes, looking up to meet the other man's gaze.

"You need some sun," observed Steve, noticing how pale Tony looked.

"Maybe," replied Tony dismissively. He paused, biting his lower lip.

"Thank you, Steve," he said finally before he turned back to his work, his freshly bandaged hand having stopped bleeding.


	4. It would have mattered

The call had come early the next morning, around 3am. It wasn't a big deal, at least it _hadn't_ been a big deal, until _he'd_ gone and pulled that stunt! It had started off as one of their regular, no-sweat jobs, tying up the loose ends on some of S.H.I.E.L.D's missions. And then _Iron Man_ had gone and entered the building without waiting for the go ahead from their headquarters. In all honesty, Steve reflected, it hadn't been that bad. In fact it hadn't even been a big explosion. But he had still been scared half to death and worried sick by the _possibility_ that Tony might have died. And to be honest, Tony didn't seem to be himself lately. He was eating less, sleeping less and talking less. And it could just be Steve, but he seemed almost sad, as if he was hiding something.

Steve let out a huff of breath in frustration as he waited impatiently for the elevator to arrive at Tony's floor. He didn't know what he was going to say, but he couldn't believe Tony would put his own life in danger simply because he was careless or feeling a little depressed.

—-

Tony was only half immersed in his work when he heard Steve walk through the lab doors. What interested him though, was that although his gait was still distinctly recognisable to Tony, Steve seemed to be walking rather heavily, almost stomping. He stood from his chair and turned around, happy to see the other Avenger and froze in shock when Steve's angry features stopped right in front of him.

"Erm, are you okay?" he asked, bewildered by Steve's uncharacteristic anger.

"What's wrong with you?" the blond nearly shouted.

Tony's mouth fell open, dumbfounded and for the first time in many years the billionaire was speechless.

"What's wrong with you?" Steve repeated, shooting a death glare at Tony. "You could have died!"

Steve continued to detail the things that could have happened and it took a long moment for Tony to realise that he was talking about their mission earlier in the day. He sat, completely lost for words as a flustered Steve accused him of seemingly every irresponsible decision he could have committed that day. True, he had been rather careless and in normal circumstances he would have waited for JARVIS to scan the building, but he had been feeling rather _distracted_ as of late. Even so, he didn't see how it was such a big deal. He often got himself into a scrape here and there and no one had ever seemed to care before.

"Steve," said Tony quietly. The blond stopped mid-sentence and glared at him, breathing heavily.

"Yes?" he answered.

Tony wasn't sure if it was a good decision but the words were out before he could stop them.

"I don't see how it's a big deal, Steve."

As soon as the words slipped from his tongue he wanted to take them back because Steve looked almost _hurt_. And the last thing he wanted to do, ever, was hurt Steve.

"You don't see how it's a big deal, Tony?" the blond said quietly. Tony didn't say anything.

"It's a big deal, because you could have died." His words echoed around them as they stared each other down.

"It wouldn't have mattered anyway," Tony finally muttered, breaking their gaze. Steve didn't say anything for a long moment and when Tony had mustered enough courage to look back at Steve's face he was taken aback to see tears in his blue eyes.

Steve leaned in, close enough to Tony that he had to resist the urge to touch him. His voice when he spoke was barely above a whisper.

"It would have mattered to me."

Before the words had registered in his mind, the blond man had turned his back and stalked out of his lab. He vaguely observed Steve lifting up a hand to wipe his eyes.


	5. A thing for blonds

**-Hi guys, thanks for all your support! This isn't the last chapter and I'll update more, but it's a nice and wrapped up chapter (for now). Please leave a review!-**

What a fool he was making of himself! Steve fought back tears as he entered the escalator, hitting the button for the rooftop in an attempt to get as far away from Tony as possible. Why was he crying anyway? He wiped at his eyes angrily, not wanting to be seen by anyone. Less than a minute later, he stepped out into the fresh air, relieved to be rid of the tense and stuffy atmosphere inside. He took deep breaths, his head spinning from his argument with Tony. Hoping no one was around, he brushed the back of his hand across his face to dislodge the few stray tears that he had missed earlier.

He made his way over to the edge of the rooftop, gazing out across the view of Manhattan. Of course Tony wouldn't understand, he thought bitterly. He didn't have any idea that Steve cared about him differently than the rest of the Avengers. He wouldn't understand that if Tony didn't come back one day a part of Steve would never come back either. He had already lost too many people close to him and he couldn't afford to lose Tony too. _Ever_.

He felt Tony's presence before the elevator announced his arrival. The billionaire had followed him to the rooftop but at the moment, Steve didn't really want anything more than some time to himself.

"Steve?"

The blond didn't turn around immediately, bracing himself for what he would find in the other person's eyes. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder before pulling him around to face Tony.

"Tony," he acknowledged in a strangled voice. A pained expression crossed Tony's face as he bit his lip.

"Steve, I-" the brunette exhaled shakily, looking away from Steve at the floor. He saw Tony swallow before looking back up. Steve leaned towards him involuntarily, lost in the gaze of his brown eyes. The moment his mind realised what he was doing, every inch of it screamed at him to stop, to pull away before it was too late. But he didn't pull back. He didn't pull back because it would have hurt too much. And was it just a desperate wish from his heart or did he see Tony bridge the gap and-

No it was real. It was as real as the soft lips against his own, tender and pure. He kissed back hesitantly as if any wrong move could break their delicate embrace. His eyes were closed, but he felt Tony move his arms up to his neck and his own hands made their way to wrap around the brunette's waist.

They parted reluctantly, Steve opening his blue eyes to look into Tony's brown ones. He smiled, feeling Tony's touch on his skin, a touch that signified something more than friendship.

"What were you saying?" the blond teased in a whisper. Tony smirked right back at him.

"I was saying that I have a thing for blonds."

Steve chuckled light-heartedly before allowing himself to be pulled into another gentle kiss. He had decided that he liked the taste of Tony on his lips and the feel of the other person in his embrace.

—-

Apparently it wasn't a surprise for the other Avengers when they first encountered the couple in each other's arms. In fact, they had even drawn a hoot of laughter and a "Finally!" from Clint at which point Steve had flushed a bright red and Tony had half-jokingly told Clint to 'shut the hell up'. Natasha hadn't batted an eyelid when Tony sat down in Steve's lap at breakfast and Bruce had smiled affectionately at the two without saying anything. In fact, the others seemed almost _relieved_ that they had sorted things out and ended up together. Sometimes in the evenings Tony would make Steve blush by asking "Were we really_ that_ obvious?"

Life settled back into a regular routine, the only real difference being that both Tony and Steve were very rarely seen without the other by their side. Steve would sit with Tony for long hours in his lab, reading a book or sketching something (more often than not a picture of Tony) while Tony worked. And likewise, Tony would be found watching Steve in the gym until he got bored and made his way to the other for a quick kiss.

When Thor visited, they had each gotten a congratulatory clap on the back, causing them stagger into and hold onto each other for support. Thor had proclaimed that they were 'fitting mates' and toasted to them at the table.

All in all, life was good and it was hard to imagine the two blissful sweethearts to be any happier.


	6. Another day's work

**-Sorry it's a bit short, this chapter is mainly just a nice happy chapter before I invent some new catastrophes or the like but for now, enjoy! And please review!-**

The only downside to their relationship, not that they considered it a downside at all, was that in battle Tony and Steve would constantly throw themselves in harms way to protect the other. It wore them both out quickly, but for some reason it felt satisfying to absorb a blow if it spared the other some discomfort and their victories seemed all the sweeter when they won them together.

In the middle of the fray where Iron Man and Captain America were fighting, Steve intercepted a blow at Tony's side and disarmed his attacker although it cost him a blast of energy to his ribs. Likewise, Tony spun around and let loose a burst of light which flew past Steve's face and collided with two enemies, throwing them off their feet and sending them sprawling across the concrete. The two heroes fought practically back-to-back, protecting one another from any danger, prepared to throw themselves in front of the other to obstruct an attack, no matter the damage to themselves. It was in this way that they both tired at an alarming rate, but even so, they were still no match for any enemy they faced.

After dispatching the last few survivors the two leaned on each other, panting, then after catching their breaths they turned to gaze into each other's eyes as Tony's helmet retracted and he pulled off Steve's mask. They locked lips passionately, kissing urgently as if the world was about to end. Natasha fussed over Clint and he made sure she was safe, their affection much more subtle than the passionate display of emotion from Iron Man and Captain America. The assassin turned, opening her mouth to speak and when she saw the couple locked in each other's arms, she kept right on turning.

—

They stood side by side back at headquarters, Steve looking over to exchange fleeting glances with Tony. Director Fury was talking but his words barely registered in Steve's mind because he had eyes only for a certain brunette man. He was itching to go home where they could be left in peace, and he could tell by Tony's expression that he was having similar thoughts. After what seemed like hours, they were dismissed and they nearly tripped in their eagerness to return home. After de-suiting at the tower, Clint stayed to look over his weapons and the rest of them rode the elevator up to Natasha's floor where the young assassin went to clean up and probably refresh her stock of deadly equipment.

The remaining two rode up to the common room and Tony headed straight for the coffee machine as soon as the doors opened. Bruce was sitting on the couch reading and turned when they entered.

"The usual?" he asked casually. Steve nodded and greeted the scientist, following Tony to the coffee machine.

"I'll make it, Tony," he said quietly, insisting when the billionaire said he could make it himself. Tony gave in with a sigh, kissing the blond softly, once.

"You spoil me too much," he said contentedly, then made his way over to where Bruce sat and dropped down onto the couch. He watched Steve make his coffee and smiled. Steve always knew what he wanted, sometimes even before he knew himself. It wasn't long before the blond walked over and handed the cup to Tony. It was just the way he liked it and before taking a sip of the rich beverage, he turned to kiss Steve discreetly without disturbing Bruce. They sat next to each other in companionable silence as they rested from a day's work and gazed out the panoramic windows at the view below them.


	7. Morning Mishap

**- Hiya everyone :D You people who click the follow and favourite buttons, and yous who leave reviews: YOU ARE AMAZING! So, this all seems horrible. Yes, I haven't updated for too long, I was making sure I had an acceptable plot, is all. BUT I am now back to updating (hopefully regular) because stuff schoolwork right? Anyway, please please please please please pleeease leave a review and I should really stop rambling now so bye :D- **

Steve almost cursed as he bashed the back of his skull on the headboard. He lifted a hand to rub the back of his head in an attempt to ease the pain, the sound of the Avengers alarm going off slowly registering in his brain. He blinked back the disorientation and grabbed a shirt, throwing it on as he pulled the door open and rushed into the hallway. Where was Tony? He usually woke up with Tony curled up to him or in his arms so it was a little strange that the billionaire wasn't there.

"Bruce!" he called as the scientist came into his view.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know, Steve," was the reply and the two Avengers headed to the meeting room. Coulson and Natasha were already there and Clint swung down from the rafters a moment after they entered. Thor was close on their heels.

"Have you seen Tony?" Steve asked the rest of the group.

Natasha bit her lip and the action left Steve's heart stuttering in a weird rhythm while he tried not to let his hands shake. She touched his arm gently with more caution than he thought necessary and he drew in a strangled breath.

"Tony's been taken," said Coulson, a grim look set in his features and Steve's heart almost gave as he stared at the agent.

"Taken?" he asked blankly.

"Where?"

Natasha guided him to a chair and he sank down gratefully into it and cradled his head on his hands.

"No," he whispered, trying to hold back the tears which he knew were threatening to spill. He drew in a shuddering breath. How could he have let this happen? The most important person to him in the world and he was_ gone. _Gone because Steve hadn't looked out for him. What did the world mean without Tony?

"We'll get him back," said Clint from beside him and he was grateful for their reassurances.

"We have some footage," said Coulson in a steady voice and Steve took a deep breath, trying to collect his nerves. He turned and nodded to the SHIELD agent. Coulson played the footage. On screen, Tony moved into view. He looked exhausted and slightly disorientated, like he had just woken up. A split second later, an attacker came into view, throwing a punch at Tony's head. The man was fast, but Tony was faster. The billionaire dropped smoothly underneath the punch and swung his leg, flipping the man onto his back. His attacker's head hit the pavement and was out like a light. Tony turned to face another man and with three successive jabs to the man's different nerve clusters, left him paralyzed on the concrete. Steve couldn't help but smile at the gracefulness in which Tony Stark dropped his assailants, even though, by the looks of it, he was sleep deprived and lacking coffee. Then he was shot.

Steve bit his tongue in shock and terror, tasting the blood as it started to bleed. The other Avengers stiffened around him and he heard Clint curse under his breath while Thor made a hissing sound.

Tony had just effectively disabled two more men when on screen, he slumped to the ground, his fingers scrabbling against his right shoulder. A burly man with a face mask made quick work of tying him up and throwing him unceremoniously into the back of a dusty black four wheel drive, but not before bringing the butt of his gun on the back of Tony's head and knocking him out. The other assailants were helped into another car and seconds after they had disappeared, SHIELD agents streamed into the scene.

Steve's head swam as he tried not to give into the impulse to cry, or run, or hit something.

"That's it?" he choked out after a moment.

"That happened five minutes ago," replied Coulson, keeping a calm face, but Steve could see the way the agent was tense and moved with just too much stiffness.

"Active SHIELD agents were sent as soon as JARVIS sent the warning, and your alarm was set off by JARVIS at the same time. This footage is the only information we were able to get, as well as the number plate of both vehicles. We are currently tracking down their location with all accessible cameras."

If Steve hadn't already been sitting he would have sank to the floor, his knees having become too weak to support his weight. He shuddered at the memory of the blood seeping through Tony's clothing as the burly man had shoved him into the back of the car.

"We'll send you out the minute we get a hit," he heard Coulson say. Natasha and Clint moved to get their equipment and Thor fetched Mjolnir. Steve didn't move and a moment later, he felt Bruce's hand on his shoulder. He was grateful for the scientist's support if anything.

Natasha returned, dressed in her SHIELD issue uniform and gently handed Steve his. He had a moment to wonder how she had changed so quickly before Coulson's voice cut through his hazy mind.

"We've got a hit," the man said simply, then relayed coordinates to Clint who had just entered the room.

The Avengers were out the door and loaded onto a quinjet less than a minute later. Steve clutched the cowl in his hands as they took off, a sick feeling clawing at his heart. He had never gotten to tell Tony he loved him.


	8. The Price of Caring

The quinjet outstripped all other SHIELD issue vehicles and the Avengers arrived at the site first. Steve pulled the cowl over his face as he surveyed the building. It was had peeling paint and crumbling plaster and all in all, it was in a state of complete neglect. It took all of Steve's composure to not charge in with his shield raised and force them to give Tony back. Coulson had boarded the quinjet with the rest of the Avengers and had issued them with their standard earpieces.

After a short pause, Steve began relaying instructions to the team.

"Clint and Thor, head around the west side of the perimeter. I want Clint up high, feeding us information about any movement and if the need arises, to pick off targets from above. Thor, I need you to make sure that no vehicles are able to leave. Natasha and I will infiltrate the building and try to find Tony. Bruce, you stay here with Coulson unless something goes wrong. Ready?"

The Avengers split, Thor and Clint moving away from the rest of the team. Steve nodded once at Coulson and Bruce, confident that the agent would supply him with all the information he would need. Turning to Natasha, he followed her as she slipped silently towards the building, her booted feet making no sound on the pavement. There was a man guarding the entrance. He was hidden in the shadows behind the doorway, but they spotted him instantly. Natasha flicked her wrist in a sharp snapping motion and Steve's eyes just managed to catch the glint of something flying through the air before the man dropped to the floor.

"Sedatives," she informed him, "Stark's tech."

Steve felt a pang stab through his chest. How ironic that Tony had them all covered, were always watching their backs even when he wasn't physically present and yet he always seemed to be the one who landed in trouble. And if Steve didn't want to think about how much it hurt that he hadn't been able to save Tony even this once.

They were through the doorway, sticking close to the walls in the shadows in an attempt to remain undiscovered. Clint's voice came over the comm sharp and clear.

"I'm on the roof, no movement on the ground."

Steve didn't reply but instead, disabled a patrolling man with an uppercut to the man's chin using his shield. Natasha motioned for him to follow her as she moved silently past two successive doorways without meeting resistance. Steve froze when he heard movement and speech within the next room.

"Has the captive been moved?"

Steve's muscles tensed and he felt Natasha brush her fingertips against his hand, warning him to stay.

"Yes, to the arranged place."

Steve just managed to pick up Natasha relaying the information to Coulson and the other Avengers. His blood pounded in his ears and he didn't realize he was gripping Natasha's arm until she gave him a reassuring pat.

We'll get him back, her eyes said, and he tried to believe her. He tried because there couldn't be a world without Tony. There was the sound of movement in the room again and he didn't need to exchange anything more than a nod with Natasha before they entered the room, Steve swinging his arm around to throw the shield at a man standing with his back to the doorway while Natasha dropped below the other man's pointless attempt at kicking her and had the man in a headlock before he could so much as blink.

Steve's trained eyes mapped out the room with quick precision, making sure there wasn't anyone else hiding in the shadows. Sliding his shield back onto his arm, he bound the unconscious man at his feet tightly and gagged him before updating Coulson.

"Where is Stark?" Natasha demanded from the fruitlessly struggling man in her grip.

"I don't-" was as far as he got before she tightened her hold and he gagged as the airflow was cut from his lungs. Steve couldn't hold back his rage. He stalked over and jammed his shield under the man's chin with much more force than was necessary. Leaning in so his face was centimetres from the man's face, it was all he could do to hold himself together.

"Where is he?" he asked, a deathly calm creeping into his voice as he made sure the man was extremely uncomfortable in the form of his shield pressed against his throat.

Steve realized as the man sneered at him that he was trying to swallow a suicide pill. The twisted smile made his stomach turn and his gut wrench. Before he could react, Natasha had manipulated the man's nervous system with some practised jabs and the man was forced to spit out the pill.

"You don't get the easy way out," growled Natasha as she stabbed her fingers into a vulnerable spot behind his ears. The man winced then started to laugh, a repulsive, sick sound that made Steve want to heave.

"It's too late for your precious Stark," he spat out, "he'll be dead soon enough. After we make him suffer."

Steve's eyes welled with tears he couldn't hold back and Natasha furiously knocked the man unconscious. Steve tried to turn away so that the assassin wouldn't see his tears, but he felt her hand on his arm before he could.

"Steve," she said quietly, sympathy and sorrow written in her eyes. Without another shoulder to lean on, he let out a sob that shook his frame to the core and as the first tear broke the dam, he buried his face in Natasha's shoulder as heavy sobs wracked his frame. Natasha rubbed circles in his back and he was thankful for her support.

After a few minutes, his tears subsided and he pulled away from the assassin sheepishly, embarrassed by his momentary weakness. Natasha smiled at him.

"We'll always be here for you, Steve," she said, "and we'll get Tony back. I promise."

Steve nodded and took deep breaths, and this time, he really believed her. He trusted her word with every fibre of his body because he desperately needed something he could believe in. With friends he could rely on, they would get Tony back, and he would tell him that he loved him. Whatever obstacles they would have to face on the way, he wouldn't have to face alone.

The first obstacle came without a warning. The explosives went off loudly and destructively and Steve blacked out with Coulson's voice shouting in his ear.

**-Um, can I haz review please?-**


	9. Author's Note

Hey everyone! Just to let you know, I might be updating this fic less from now 'till Christmas because I'll be concentrating on my fic called "Don't You Know?" as it's got lots of Christmas in it. Please read it and I'll get back to updating (I'll still try to update, I'll just be slower) more often after Christmas or at least until I get some more time to write write write and do nothing else.

Anyway, here's the link: (add fanfiction dot net slash in front of it)

/s/8705884/1/Don-t-You-Know

The Avengers tower is never quiet. If there are no robots running rampant, there are food fights on a scale which would make any sane person cringe. It's layer after layer of crazy and crazy. Life moves at a dizzying pace but there are a few things that never change. Like friends that will always be there for each other. And feelings that just can't be erased. Eventual Steve/Tony.

And it's going to focus on Christmas because well, it's Christmas soon? Anyway, please read it!


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